Digital marketing and social media have become so mainstream it’s hard to tell the difference between real life and digital life. Or maybe that’s just us over here 
Anyway, with the recent twitter feud sparked an idea on how influential Taylor Swift is (wait we already knew that) but what we can learn from her and take back to our digital marketing teams. So here are 5 things we thought all of us could learn from Taylor.
She Lifts The Black Curtain: As a celebrity so many people want to know what your life is like or who your friends are and Taylor shows/shares it all….Not only is she sharing promotional posts when a new album or tour is coming out but she is posting instagram photos with her bf and besties during nights out or cuddling with her cat on the couch. A great example was her 4th of July party, I definitely felt like I was a part of it along with the other millions of her Instagram followers. By lifting the curtain she makes you feel like you are part of her #squad and part of the crew. Brands can find evangelists in just the same way. Lift the black curtain and let everyone know the behind the scenes, members of staff or anything at all. When you stop just sharing your promotional marketing speak, users or consumers get to feel the real you and can relate a lot more to your brand.
Her Brand Slowly Evolved: Not only did she start out in country as a young teenager but she had a core fan base at the time. Instead of hopping onto a pop band wagon as soon as it was offered and lose her core group she slowly drifted giving herself a mix of her original as she evolved into what she is now considered a pop star. During this time she was able to pull in new fans and consumers and allow her existing fan base to develop more love for her evolving brand and tunes. For brands this can be hard because you may be in a position that you need to make big changes and it’s hard not to just wake up one day with a change. But it’s important to evolve your brand slowly, especially in the day of digital marketing, so that you don’t lose any of your core consumers while you move into a new group of consumers.
Two Way Conversations: She talks to her fans and supporters. From posting encouraging thoughts on a fan’s cancer blog or engaging with specific users on Twitter she is having a two way conversation constantly. As a brand involved in social media it’s important to talk with your consumers and not just push content out. Sometimes just congratulating users or responding to something relevant to your brand will give you a loyal user for life.
She’s Positive & Supportive Always: We could go on for days about how she is constantly giving back in meaningful ways both small and large to let her supporters know she cares ($50k to NYC schools or $1989 towards a fan’s student loans). In addition to donations she finds ways to turn things positive. For example, in the recent feud talk with Minaj, she stays positive and supportive. Doing these small steps to stay positive and supportive can turn something bad around before it goes too far. Many times with social media we may get some negative press or customer reviews which can be alleviated before going to far with a bit of support and positivity. Many brands have found quite a bit of success just by listening on social and responding in a positive manner. She these great positive social media customer service examples.
There are plenty more examples we can take from many of the relatable celebrities today but Taylor Swift is a perfect example of how a brand can build loyal brand evangelists by being relatable and engaging. What other items would you add to the list or which celebrities have you taken a page from?
